Vehicle-gear.



No. 755,491. PATBNTED MAR. 22, 1904,

T. 1 1. HOLMAN.

VEHICLE GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1903.

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No. 755,491. PATENTBD MAR. 22, 1904. T. H. HOLMAN. VEHICLE GEAR.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 19 1903.

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No. 755,491; v PATBNTED MAR. 22, 1904. T. H; HOLMAN. VEHICLE GEAR.

APPLIGATIOK FILED JUNE 19, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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Thomas/ f f/O/ fion. wi bnaaaea Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OF ICE.

THOMAS HENRY HOLMAN, OF AKRON, OHIO.

VEHICLE-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,491, dated March 221904.

Application filed June 19, 1903. $eria1No. 162,294. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs HENRY HoL- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Gears, of which thefollowing is a, specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the front gearfor wagons, coaches, and similar vehicles; and its object is to providea simple, durable, and inexpensive construction of gear of few partswhich may be readily assembled.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gear arranged for ellipticalsprings. plan View of a modification for use in connection withplatform-springs. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the gear, and Fig. iis arear elevation of the same.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is an axle uponwhich are arranged elliptical springs 2 2, having coach-blocks 3 securedthereon. A bed A is fastened to the blocks, and a king-bolt plate 5 ofsuitable form is arranged at the center thereof. The bed extends overhounds 6, and under these hounds is located a truss-brace 7, securelybolted at its ends to the blocks 3 and springs 2. Bolts 8 extend throughplate 5 and serve to bind the hounds, bed, and truss-brace firmlytogether. i A plate 9 connects the hounds 6 at the rear portion thereof,and braces 10 are fastened to the rear ends of the hounds and aresecured to the lower circle of the fifthwheel, which is arranged underand is exactly like the upper circle 11 of said wheel. These braces areformed integral with a strip 10, which is fastened between the rearportions of the hounds 6. Pole-bridges 12 and 13 connect the forwardportions of the hounds, the inner bridge being provided with an aperture14 for the reception of a safety-pin. (Not shown.) A shoe 15 is securedto the front ends of the hounds, and a doubletree is adapted to be fas-5 O tened thereto in any preferred manner.

Fig. 2 is a' braces 19 also extend outward from the blocks.

3 and are bolted to the outer sides of curved strips 20, to the innerfaces of which is secured a brace 21, which extends across and under thehounds. A second brace-strip 22 is fastened to the shackles 23, formedby the strips 20 and the braces 19 and 21, and this brace passes overthe hounds, the two braces 21 and 22 forming a truss for rigidlysupporting the forward ends of the hounds. The ends of the braces 19 and21 form ears 24, between which shafts are adapted to be pivoted.

A curved stay-brace 25 is suitably secured at one end to the uppercircle 11 of the fifthwheel and has an extension which passes beneaththe lower circle, thereby serving to hold the two sections of the wheelagainst displacement. The opposite end of the brace is adapted to besecured to the wagon-body. (Not shown in the drawings.)

If desired, the braces 19, 21, and 22 may be dispensed with and a polesecured under the bridges 12 and 13 and over the shoe 15. Also, ifdesired, the hounds 6, stop-strip 16, and brace 17 can be dispensed withand the gear used with shafts exclusively. Where the gear is adapted foruse either with poles or shafts, as shown in the drawings, it is notnecessary to employ braces 17, although they can be used, if desired.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a modified form of gear for use in connectionwithplatformsprings. In this construction the coach-block 26 is securedto the cross-spring 27, and a strip 28 extends therefrom and betweenhounds 29, secured to the sides thereof. A stop-strip 30 is arranged infront of the strip 28, and at the front ends of the hounds are secured abridge 31 and a shoe 32, as shown." Curved braces 33 extend from theends of block 26 and are fastened to the outer faces of curved strips34:, and the inner faces of this strip are connected by a truss-brace 35similar to thatlateral movement of the shackles37. In this constructionthe hounds 29 and the stop-strip 30 can be readily removed when it isdesired to use only shafts with the gear by extending strip 28 forwardand connecting it to brace 35,

3 so as to support the fifth-wheel.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am awarethatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve theright to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In avehiclegear of the character described the combination with a bed and atrussbrace extending longitudinally thereof; ,of hounds secured betweenthe bed and brace, a bridge connecting the hounds, shaft-shackles, atruss-brace connecting the shackles and hounds, a fifth-wheel, andbraces connecting said wheel and the hounds.

2. In a vehicle-gear the combination with blocks, a bed, and atruss-brace for the bed; of hounds secured to the bed and brace,shaftshackles, a truss-brace connecting the shackles and hounds, polebridges connecting the hounds, a shoe connecting the hounds, afifthwheel, braces secured thereto, a strip between the hounds andconnected to the braces a detachable stop-strip between the hounds,braces connecting the blocks and hounds, and braces connecting theblocks and shackles.

3. In a vehicle-gear of the character debrace extending longitudinallythereof; of hounds secured between the bed and brace, a bridgeconnecting the hounds, blocks secured to the bed, braces connecting theblocks and hounds, a fifth-wheel, braces connecting the wheel andhounds, shaft-shackles, and a trussbrace connecting the shackles andhounds.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.THOMAS HENRY HOLMAN. Witnesses:

H. C. WILoox, DELLA V. GERVAIs.

scribed the combination with a bed, and a truss-

